Advanced Accelerator Control: International Exchange at TWoAFC and a Visit to FERMI

How can control systems be made increasingly precise, stable and reliable? This was one of the key challenges addressed at the LLRF Topical Workshop on Advanced Feedback Control (TWoAFC), which brought together 88 experts from 40 research institutes and companies across Europe, Asia and the Americas in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, from 13 to 15 October 2026.

Co-organised by Instrumentation Technologies and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste, the workshop provided three days of scientific exchange on advanced feedback control strategies, which are essential to the operation and performance of particle accelerators and other complex technological systems.

Discussions focused on the role of control theory, modelling and optimisation in developing increasingly high-performance systems. Presentations, tutorials and a poster session encouraged researchers and engineers to exchange experiences and approaches, while also highlighting connections with other research fields, from gravitational-wave detection to quantum computing.

A significant part of the programme was the visit to FERMI, the free-electron laser at Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste. Participants had the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into a research facility where the precision, stability and reliability of control systems play an essential role, providing a practical perspective on the topics discussed during the workshop.

The event highlighted the value of dialogue between different scientific and technological communities, providing opportunities to discuss shared challenges and fostering the exchange of knowledge and innovative solutions.

TWoAFC was the third topical event within the international LLRF workshop series, established in 2001 and expanded in 2018 to include specialised workshops held in the years between the main biennial events.